Starving bear tragedy at Chinese zoo sparks global outrage
"The saddest bear in the world" was fed only bread and vegetables for over a decade. This tragic incident occurred in a small zoo, where visitors were horrified by the sight of the starving bear, which could barely move on its emaciated legs.
5:42 AM EDT, June 15, 2024
No animal deserves such a cruel fate. Visitors couldn't believe their eyes when they saw the starving bear at the zoo in Jiulongtan Scenic Area in Panzhou, China.
The bear had been fed vegetables and cooked corn rolls since it was young. A concerned tourist spoke with the animal's caretaker, who admitted that the zoo owner had difficulties providing proper food for the animals because of a lack of tourists, which translated to a lack of funds.
When footage of the emaciated bear was made public, numerous critical comments about the zoo rapidly appeared on social media. Users described the bear as "the most miserable in the world," often pointing to its deformed appearance caused by starvation. Others expressed their outrage, saying that the animals at the Panzhou zoo were mistreated and lived in dreadful conditions.
The Panzhou Tourism Industrialization Development Centre inspected the zoo in response to these reports. This institution has promised to continue monitoring the bear's situation in cooperation with other departments. It is also worth noting that another black bear recently arrived at the zoo is in much better condition.
The issue of cruelty to bears
Unfortunately, the issue of cruelty to bears is not limited to China. For example, in Armenia, a brown bear named Nelson spent his entire life behind bars in a small, dirty cage where his needs were neglected. He only received minimal amounts of food, sufficient to keep him alive.
In the Vietnamese province of Son La, another bear, Soi, was forced to live in an enclosure smaller than a car. The animal's tragic living conditions led to its dire health state. Eventually, the owner agreed to surrender the bear to the authorities after its living conditions were exposed.
These dramatic stories shed light on the global problem of treating wild animals, which often suffer from improper care and cruelty. Organizations dedicated to animal rights and relevant agencies must cooperate to ensure better living conditions for these beautiful creatures, who suffer so profoundly.
